As someone just getting started on my entrepreneurship journey, I’ve already come to realize a few things. First of all, this is my absolute dream career path. Having control over my business and its direction has given me new found confidence in myself and my abilities. Being free of living on someone else’s schedule has actually made me want to work more. I pretty much work on my business from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. And do you know what? I’m finally happy.

The only fallback (aside from financial strain but that’s starting to get better) is that criticism and judgment is inevitable. The way I see it, there are two types of criticism. There’s constructive feedback, which is incredible and something I welcome if it’s specific and actually helpful. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about people sharing their opinions about what they think I should be doing in a demeaning way. I’m talking about the people who because I’m not an overnight success think I should put my business on the back burner and get a 9-5. The people that don’t understand that I have so many plans to make money doing what I love but can’t wrap their head around the fact that I only have so many hours in a day. That all I need is a couple of months. I’m talking about destructive criticism.

Are you an entrepreneur experiencing something similar? Here are some tips and tricks I’ve been picking up along the way that might help!

Try to Figure Out Their Reasoning

Is there someone you feel is constantly belittling you and making you feel incompetent at running your business (and life)? Why do you think they’re doing that? If it’s someone close to you, surely that can’t be their intent. Okay, it could, but there’s a whole other issue if that’s the case. More on that in another article. Either way, it’s helpful for you to know exactly what you’re dealing with and why. Maybe that person doesn’t realize that their constant “suggestions” are unhelpful and distracting. Perhaps they just want to feel more involved in your business and your life. They could just be looking for a way to connect with you.

Whatever their reasoning, at least you’ll see whether their intent is wholesome or not so you can act accordingly. Perhaps you can find some sort of compromise or plan with that person. Maybe they can wait until you ask for help before sharing their thoughts and opinions. Or maybe you just need to tell them that you appreciate what they’re trying to do but it’s distracting you from your own plans and ideas. Either way, it’s important to deal with destructive criticism effectively in order to feel in control of your own business.

Be Confident That You Know What You’re Doing

This is essential for any entrepreneur and especially tricky for those just starting out. Even if you’re just winging it, having confidence in yourself is what will allow you to blossom in your career. I went into blogging completely blind – I had no idea how to do anything! A year later and I can look back on my older work and see the huge amounts of progress I’ve made. I know that I’m capable of being successful at this, and my confidence helps me push through even the toughest times.

If you can keep that confidence through the chaos of experiencing destructive criticism, it’ll be much easier for you to implement the strategies that you think will work and the constructive feedback that you receive. If you’ve done any sort of research about entrepreneurship, you know that it’s not going to be easy. You know that the startup process is going to be a long haul and that your business won’t become successful overnight. You know that you’ll likely put in countless hours before seeing any real results. Being confident in yourself is what will drive you through those beginning stages when others aren’t believing in you.

Stay Focused on Your Process

You’ve started a business, so clearly you have some ideas. While ideas are a fantastic start, having a plan to implement those ideas and actually implementing them is what will bring you success in your business. Failure is inevitable, but if you aren’t failing then you aren’t trying, and if you aren’t trying then you aren’t succeeding. Don’t let the noise distract you from your own plan of implementation. If someone has something constructive to offer you that you think will help your process, great! Implement it within your plans. If someone is nagging you to do something that you don’t think is helpful, find a way to block that out and carry on with what you’re doing. This goes back to having confidence in your own abilities.

If you’re like me, you may have so many ideas that you don’t know what to do with them. That’s okay! I’ve found it helpful to figure out exactly how many ideas I can implement at a time, prioritize those ideas, and then put my full time and energy into implementing a manageable amount of projects. You don’t need to do everything at once! If I tried to implement all of my plans at once, my business would fail, because I wouldn’t be able to put the focus into each project that it needs in order to be successful.

The Takeaway

At the end of the day, you are your own boss. You have the power to carve out the path that your business will take. Constructive feedback by customers, clients, and readers should always be taken seriously, there’s no doubt about that. However, you don’t need to put up with destructive criticism and constant negativity from the people around you.

What are your thoughts? Do you have any helpful tips for entrepreneurs who are overwhelmed by destructive criticism? Share in the comments!

Get to Know Me

Hi there! I'm Daynna, an ambitious millennial woman with big dreams. I want to help you take on adulthood head first and live the life you've always wanted! I frequently laugh at my own jokes and I'm addicted to Starbucks.